Trapped like Rabbits
by creativedestitute
Summary: In the middle of the 74th annual Hunger Games, what happens when two enemy tributes get trapped together? With no chance at escaping, they must learn to make due with their new situation. Rated M for violence, language, and sexual content.
1. Deep Cuts (Updated)

**-Hello fan fiction community! I am so excited to be presenting the first chapter of my new and improved "Trapped like Rabbits" story!**

 **As you will probably notice: this chapter is a lot longer than the original. The original chapter was 1,326 words, this one is 3,498.**

 **I hope you all enjoy the new story. At the end I will be writing some notes about what I changed, why I changed it, and offering up some character/story analysis and putting a couple questions for you guys so I know how _you_** **want the story to continue.**

 **This story is darker than the previous version so please be aware.**

 **If you enjoy this story please let me know! I welcome suggestions, feedback, criticism! I want to know if you guys enjoy what you're reading and what I can do to make it better.**

 **This story is rated M for mature content including, but not limited to, language, sexual content, graphic violence. Viewer discretion is advised.**

 **...**

 **...**

He was just scouting the perimeter; traveling slightly south to explore some new area. He journeyed alongside a deep gorge; cautious enough of the crushing rapids parallel to him.

Cato was really just stretching his legs, making sure his muscles were well-preped for the Game's finale. Which would inevitably take place. He carried with him a silver sword with a thick, blunt blade. It was decently heavy however, wielded correctly, it was quite aerodynamic and lethal.

Though Cato had already butchered 3 tributes, the sword was free of any nicks or imperfections. Cato smiled at himself through the weapon's reflection: His brow looked strong and pronounced. His teeth, pearly white and slightly pointed. There were droplets of other tribute's blood amongst his proud, muscular chest. He looked like a god. And he felt like one. _A god that decides who is allowed to live and die._ _And today, a vengeful god. One that will bring his wrath down on the tributes who foolishly thought they could survive against him._ He marveled at his own vanity.

His fingers twitched with impatience; He craved another kill. He desired nothing more than to hunt down an unsuspecting human, and slaughter, _no,_ **destroy** them. As far as Cato was concerned, he had already won the Hunger Games. But alas, he was just scouting. And he never imagined stumbling upon the Girl on Fire and pathetic Lover Boy.

The artificial sun was beginning to set in the arena. Cato wanted to adventure further into the woods, but he stopped when he heard... _talking?_ Hushed, faint, two people. Approximately 30 or so feet away. His casual jaunt dropped into a slow, calculating tiptoe. He hunched down among the thicket and followed the soft-spoken, almost inaudible noises coming from the darkening forest. Cato pupils had triple in size. He walked slowly, heavily, _silently_. Not even the wildlife around him knew of his presence. His steps were precise and his gaze, calculating.

Cato neared a slight opening in the bramble and crouched into the shrubbery. He peered into a small clearing and his eyes caught hold of a sight that Cato had difficulty believing. **_Katniss..._** Cato's heartbeat quickened ever-so-slightly. He felt heat radiating out of his entire body at the sight of her. If the rumors he heard about her were true, then he would have to catch her before she had a chance to run; she was apparently very accustomed to the ways of the forest, and she had already evaded him once. _I'm not going to let her escape this time._

As Cato began formulating a plan of action in his head he noticed something he hadn't before. A small, limp body propped up against one of the trees. The second voice he had heard: it was **Peeta.** Katniss had been tending to him. She stood over him and helped him drink some water out of a leaf. When Katniss turned her back towards Cato she revealed a quiver hung on her back. He searched for the bow that accompanied it and his eyes found it resting upon some rocks. _She'll regret leaving her weapon out of arms reach._

Katniss examined Peeta's wound. The way she looked at him; a mixture of hopelessness, longing, _love._ It was absolutely wretched, Cato thought. He fought back the feelings of rage and the bile that threatened his throat. _How utterly pathetic she is. This is a competition. Why is she wasting her time tending to a lost cause? How can she expect to win with that leech feeding off of her survival skills?_ Cato spat quietly in the dirt. _Stupid fool. She deserves to die, just as much as him._ He couldn't help but smile a devilish smile at the thought of killing them. There were a million ways he could do it: each way more tantalizing than the last. He could slit Katniss' throat in front of Peeta and leave him alone to die a painful, **slow** death. He could spill Peeta's guts and make Katniss' beg him to let her live, _which would be so satisfying before I end her._ No matter what, Cato had to make it a good show. The people back home were watching. His family was watching, cheering him on. _I will bring my district honor._

Cato sat in the bramble, crouched down low. He wouldn't rush into a kill if he didn't have to. He would wait. _Hours even._ Until the perfect moment came to **strike.**

Peeta laid on the ground under the cover of a pine tree. He had deep, purple circles under his eyes and his gaze was unsteady. He looked like he was barely hanging on. Katniss never left his side. She was tending to his extensive wounds. _Pathetic mess. Why does she even bother? There's no way he'd survive the night. Even if I hadn't found them..._ Some cuts and scrapes painted his face and arms; however, a gaping gash on his left thigh was the source of the pool of blood surrounding him. The scent tainted the air with a coppery sting.

Watching Katniss worriedly apply pressure to Peeta's leg gave Cato a surge of pride. His sword was the cause of Peeta's fatal wound and Cato knew that there was no chance of recovery. If he didn't bleed out within the next couple of hours, infection would surely set in. Cato grinned thinking about Katniss having to amputate Peeta's dead leg with her mere skinning knife. She'd make such a mess of things, and would probably kill him in the process. However, these thoughts of Cato's were nothing more than amusing, he knew the two of them wouldn't last long enough for it to come to that.

The two tributes were about 15 feet away from Cato's hunting spot. He could make out every detail of their faces. Katniss' was slightly dirtied, a couple of scrapes populated her face and arms. Her long, brown, earthy hair was put back in a tight braid. A hairstyle which Cato knew to be popular amongst poorer districts; because it didn't require expensive tools to achieve. He noticed her slightly heaving chest; her heartbeat was slowing down, relaxing. He watched her intricate, small hands going to work on Peeta's leg. She had already made a tournecate and dressed the wound best she could. Cato deduced that she had some medical training. R _udimentary, and barbaric. But medical training nonetheless._ Cato caught himself studying her more than necessary. He didn't understand why he found her to be so fascinating. Perhaps it was because she had lasted this long. A fragile little bird from the slums out in 12 had not only lived past the first couple of days, she outsmarted Cato. She got away from him. That wasn't something to turn his nose up at. She must be decently intelligent. Small, but quick. A fast thinker. That was something Cato could appreciate. He admitted to himself; when she was awarded a score of 11 he had smashed the television in his quarters and badly injured a nearby avox. He thought the score must have been rigged. He even considered that the gamemakers gave her that score so that she would be an easy target in the first few hours of the game. He had never actually imagined a tribute from 12, not to mention a _female,_ actually surviving this long. Cato wondered about her potential. He wondered, if it came down to it, if she would actually be able to kill the pathetic boy from 12.

He thought about them at the cornucopia as the two remaining tributes. If Lover boy attacked her she would be quicker. Smarter. He would try to use brutal strength against her, like back at the training room. Peeta would try to use his weight against her but that would fail him. She would outrun him, out smart him. Katniss would tackle him to the ground. She'd use the last of her energy to get atop him. She'd put her small, slender hands around his neck and _**squeeze. Squeeze.**_ **Squeeze.** Gasping. Sputtering. Peeta's legs flailing madly. She'd push harder and harder, her brown eyes would be intense. **Burning.**

Cato imagined her on top of him. Her small hands around _his_ large neck. Instead of trying to stop her, Cato would use his hands to grind her into his hips while she choked him. He thought about himself _inside her_ while she moaned and her grip tightened.

Cato swallowed hard and wiped the sweat from his brow. He was disgusted by these thoughts... and even more disgusted that he was hard from them. _I would never fuck a common rat from 12. I'd rather be burned alive than stick my dick inside a filthy cunt from the slums._ Cato's skin burned. He was ready to kill them. Ready to kill _her._ Cato took a deep breath and lowered his gaze to the bow. He would have to sprint, but only for a few feet.

Cato got to his feet silently as he clenched his sword close to his body. His heart was pounding slowly in his chest. Rhythmically. He was ready. He had prepared for this for many years. He was lethal. He would end the Girl on Fire and pathetic Lover Boy. He would bring his family honor.

He took one final deep breath than crushed through the bramble as quickly as his legs could take him. Cato arrived between the two tributes and Katniss' weapon. She was frozen in shock, her eyes wide and fixed on the predator in her midst. Peeta, although fading in and out of consciousness, was horrified at the sight of Cato. The forest around them, which had been vibrating with quiet life, seemed eerily silent. The world froze at that panicked moment.  
Katniss regained herself quickly and stood in front of Peeta protectively. Her eyes darted madly around until they settled, terrified, on the bow behind the deadly tribute. "Looking for _this_ Katniss?" Cato taunted pointing behind him at the bow, "You think you can reach it before I bury my sword in your boyfriend?"

Katniss' face twisted in anger and fear. She wouldn't let him near Peeta. She would die before she let Cato hurt him. "This is between _you_ and **me,** Holter. You leave Peeta out of this!" Katniss stood up straighter, reached into her right-side pocket and pulled out a jagged-edged knife. The same one she had used to saw off the branch of a tree, letting a nest of trackerjackers and its swarm fall below onto unsuspecting tributes: an act that Cato had deemed cowardice, and unsportsmanlike. " **Leave** Cato. Leave or else-"

"-Or else what?" He cut her off, "The **only** chance you have of possibly surviving is running. And I think we both know that you won't leave your precious Lover Boy." Cato's eyes lowered glaringly to Peeta. "No matter how far gone he is", Cato added viciously while taking a step forward. Katniss raised her jagged knife threateningly.

" **I will kill you Cato. Leave. Now.** "

Cato smiled ear-to-ear. He liked the growl in her voice. It was tantalizing. Even welcoming, to Cato.

"Oh Katniss, I would **love** to see you try" he purred in a deep, teasing manner. He was getting excited. He felt warmth flowing through him from his center. He inched closer, savoring the tension between them. He was only a few feet away now.

"CATO! GET AWAY FROM US!" Katniss' voice sounded more wavering and raw. He could see the fear taking over her body. Her grip on the dismal knife was so tight her knuckles were bright white, but her hand was shaking. Her lip quivered just barely, one might not have even noticed. Perspiration dripped down her reddened cheeks. Her pupils were big. Cato drank in the sight and he tightened his grip on his sword. He was going to enjoy dismembering her. She stepped forward closing the gap between them. Cato sized her up confidently. She was nothing to him but a little girl play-fighting. He'd had meals bigger than her. Killing her would be like stepping on a pesky ant.

"You think you can kill me, little girl? I've brought grown men to their knees. Let's see how quickly it'll take to bring you to yours."

Katniss glowered at him. He stood over her, just topping 6'5. He looked like a beast with his silvery eyes, bulging muscles, and his unnerving smile. He was playing with her now, and she shuddered to think of what he would be like when he was done playing. _I have to kill him. Before he kills Peeta. It's me, or him._ Katniss contemplated for a small second before seizing the moment and violently lashing out at Cato with the knife. He anticipated her swing and dodged it, easily. His smile got bigger and more arrogant. He licked his lips condescendingly.

"Is that the best you've got, Girl on Fire?", Cato let out a chuckle, "You're absolutely **_pathetic_**."

He swung his massive sword and Katniss barely dashed out of the way. The sword caught her left arm and sliced through her jacket along with a small line of skin. Blood pooled out of the cut and Katniss cried out in pain. She grabbed her arm, pressing down hard. "Is that the best you've got...Cato?" She panted out, trying to mimic the condescension in his voice. She was trying to rile him up in hopes that he'd lose focus. "You're _absolutely **pathetic.**_ "

Cato's arrogant grin slowly melted away and, for a moment, he just started back at her: blank-faced. He had never, ever, been spoken to that way. People talked to him with respect, and often, fear. His pronounced brow dipped down and his stare became a dangerous glare. He swung crazily at Katniss but missed by a couple of mere centimeters. His sword smacked the ground with an ear-shattering clang. " _ **I'm going to fucking obliterate you."**_ He growled.

Katniss was completely and utterly terrified as he continued his attack on her. He swung a final time and missed as she dashed behind him. Cato, with his sword still in hand, jabbed his elbow behind him. It made swift, sharp contact with her stomach causing her to clutch her midsection and drop her knife into the soft earth. He spun around and with his left hand punched Katniss square in the jaw. It crackled underneath his hit and she crumbled to the floor, on her knees.

"See, bitch? I told you Id get you on your knees." Cato said cruelly. He delivered a final blow to her chest with his right foot and she flew into the dirt, rolling a few feet. Katniss sputtered out a slimy, blood-coated cough. She felt like her ribs, face, and entire body were broken. All she could smell was blood and the moist earth. She watched helplessly as Cato left her body and made his way to Peeta. She tried to cry out but the only noise she could make was a soft wheezing moan.

Cato strode up to the dying boy. Peeta's gaze was weak, faltering. He could barely keep his eyes open and his breathing was wispy and uneven. Cato grabbed the boy by his collar and pulled him up to his gaze. Peeta let out a weak cry and tried to raise his arm to stop Cato. He couldn't lift it for long and it fell back to his side limply. Cato glared into Peeta's beady blue eyes and Katniss watched in horror. "You pathetic, frail, wretched little weakling." Cato forced Peeta's head in Katniss' direction. "Did you really think that _you_ could protect her? From **me**?" He laughed sadistically as Peeta winced.

Cato leaned into Peeta's ear so only he could hear his words. " _I'm going to **rip** her apart and bathe in her warm, wet blood. But first, I'm going to **fuck** the **shit** out of her over your lifeless corpse. Im going to make her look into your dead eyes while I finish inside of her. I bet her screams will be heard around the entire arena." _ Cato smirked at Katniss laying helpless in the mud. Doomed to watch her lover die at the hands of a stronger, superior male.

Cato held Peeta roughly up against the tree and plunged his sword, deadly, into Peeta's guts. The canon blew overhead and Katniss let out a gut-wrenching shriek. He waited a long moment before removing his blood-covered sword slowly from the dead tribute and watched Peeta's body plop onto the ground. He had a sadistic, **evil** smile on his face that showed his slightly pointed teeth. His body felt warm and tingly and he tried to ignore the stiffness in his pants.

Tears poured down Katniss' bruised, bloodied face; she tried to crawl away but Cato kicked her roughly onto her back. "Damn. I was hoping the Girl on Fire would be a bit more challenging that _this._ I mean, I murdered your lover right in front of you and all you do is writhe around in the mud?" She whined slightly and tried to get back on her stomach. Cato raised one eyebrow. He reached down and grabbed a fist full of her hair, forcing her to look into his eyes. "How should I kill you? I'm getting a little tired of slicing and dicing. What if..." Cato wrapped his massive hands around her neck, "...I suffocate you?" He squeezed her neck and watched her eyes widen and her face turn a deep shade of red. She tried to pry his hands off but she couldn't even lift one of his fingers. Her legs flailed and she kicked up dirt. She felt like she was slipping out of consciousness. Cato loosened his grip.

"You like that?" Cato looked around for more fun ways to kill her. His eyes settled in the distance, about 20 feet away on the gorge that he had been traveling next to. His smile returned, extra wide this time. _Perfect._ Cato bent down and grabbed Katniss before throwing her roughly over his shoulder. He took her through the woods all the while she cried faintly for help.

"No one's coming to save you darling" He laughed haughtily.

As they arrived at the end of the gorge Katniss' survival instincts kicked in. She squirmed in his grip trying to free herself. She pushed down her emotions and tried to focus on getting away from him. He held onto her tightly trying to control her. "Oh...no...you don't" Cato said struggling to hold her still. "I hope the Girl on Fire knows how to swim."

Cato dangled Katniss teasingly over the edge. "Do you know what happens when a person drowns?" He asked mockingly. She was frozen in fear holding onto his arms as tightly as she could. Her legs where kicking in the air over the steep, rocky gorge. It must have been at least a 20 foot drop. "First, they hold their breath as long as they can" He swung her a little bit eliciting a loud cry from the helpless tribute. "Then, their body goes frantic from loss of oxygen." He swung her lightly again, laughing at her fear. "And finally, their brain forces them to breath in water. It's said to be the most painful way to die. As their lungs fill up with water they sink down and watch the light fade from the surface." Katniss decided in that moment that she was a dead woman. She decided that Cato was going to throw her into that gorge and she would drown. However, in that split, terrifying second she decided that she could take him down with her. She said a silent sorry to her sister Prim, and her mother, and Gale. And lastly, _Peeta._ Who did not deserve to die for her.

Cato swung Katniss a final time, he had intended to let her down after this final swing and figure out how he was _really_ going to kill her. He never truly intended to drop her into that gorge. But, when Cato swung her a final time, Katniss used the remainder of her strength to pull Cato towards her as hard as she could. He did not anticipate her move, and he toppled over the edge with her. They went plunging down into the rapids. Katniss was thrown against a sharp, jagged rock. Both of the tributes were dragged down by the heavy waves. The entire world went black for Cato and Katniss.

 **...**

 **...**

 **Thank you all for reading! Please write in the comments what you think of the new version!**

 **Question 1: Do you like this version better than the original. If so, why?**

 **Story/character analysis:**

 **One of the main things I focused on while writing this chapter was Cato. I felt in the original version it wasn't descriptive enough for the opening of a story. I really wanted to delve deep into Cato's mind and focus on how he would react to the world around/his inner monologue.**

 **In this version Cato is more calculating. He is constantly thinking/observing the world around him and I equated that with his career training (Question 2: Would you be interested in me writing more about how I think his career training happened/what it was like?)**

 **But, although Cato is very observant and planning, one of his major faults is that he tends to imagine different scenarios in his head; he likes thinking about what _could_ happen rather than what _is_ happening. **

**I also tried to make him more prejudice and give him more of a superiority complex. I figured that people in his district looked down upon the more poorer districts and felt that they were superior to them (which is why Cato refers to district 12 as a "slum"). I also feel like he would have been trained and conditioned to think that he was better than others to help him learn how to kill and not feel bad about it.**

 **One thing that bothered me about the original story was that Cato quite literally just stumbled upon Katniss and Peeta. He was just walking along and happened to see them. I didn't think that was as realistic as the idea that he _heard_ them and followed the noises to their spot. **

**I also very much expanded on Cato's fascination with Katniss. I think because he looks down on the poorer districts so much, Cato couldn't understand how Katniss received a score of 11 and how she escaped his clutches. That made him both frustrated and interested in her. He truly believes that people from district 12 are unintelligent, worthless garbage, yet she somehow managed to outsmart him.**

 **Another thing I changed from the previous version was Peeta. Peeta has never really been a major part of this story. Mostly because I am not a big fan of him. I think that he latched onto Katniss unfairly and dragged her down in the games(Question 3: Do you want me to write more about Peeta? His backstory, his relationship to Katniss etc?). Regardless I wanted to play on the idea that Cato was somewhat jealous (although he would never admit it) that she chose Peeta, someone he saw as weak and therefore not what a man should be, over him. I would imagine that Cato is used to girls treated him the way Glimmer did: gawking at him, worshipping him, treating him as superior. Katniss kept her dignity about her even up until she thought she was going to die, that's another thing that frustrated Cato. He deemed himself perfect, yet Katniss never bent to his will.**

 **Finally, I changed the way that the two tributes went over the gorge. Something that bothered me about the original version was how Katniss reacted to Peeta's death. In the original, she chose death over living with the fact that Peeta was dead. I just didn't think this was realistic especially because the entire reason that Katniss was in the games was to save her sister Prim. She vowed to win the games so she could go back to her and I** **didn't think Katniss would throw that all away willingly. The only reason that she chose "death" in this version is because she thought that Cato was going to kill her, and in her mind if she was already going to die, she should at least take the monster with her. I think in this version Katniss is more brave and noble. She isn't "killing" Cato over some guy, she's "killing" Cato because it's what she thinks is right.**

 **Please let me know what you guys think of the changes/new version of the story in the comments!**

 **I hope you enjoyed reading!**

 **Please standby a couple more days while I write the 2nd chapter!**


	2. Drowning

_~Splish. Splish. Splash. Splish. Trickle. Splish.~_

 _Light. Brilliant light. Dappled against the cool gray world. Earthy. Rough. Uneven. Segmented and separate from everything._

 _Wet. Cool. **Weak.** Struggling to keep up with his uneven breaths. Struggling to understand. Connect. Analyze._

 _~Splash. Trickle. Splish. Splish. Trickle. Splish.~_

 _His thick, lethal fingers twitched. They curled slowly onto the rugged, damp ground. No earth; the ground underneath was hard. Stony. He could hear water turning and splashing all around him. He didn't understand._

 **...**

Katniss awoke spewing up a slimy mixture of water, blood, and mucus. Propped up on her small hands, she wretched onto the hard, cold floor. When her stomach was fully empty she sat shaking, and dry heaving; trying to gain back control of her body. She felt wet, weak: empty. Her eyes edged around her slowly; taking in her unknown surroundings. She mustered the strength to sit up and felt the jagged earth beneath her. She noticed that her left arm felt stiff; unmoving. She tried to stretch it out but a sharp pain in her elbow stopped her. Katniss ran her opposite hand gently along her hurt arm. She deduced that at the very least it was sprained. She kept it curled into her chest.

 _...Where am I...?_ The light level was low, but not so low as to inhibit her sight. She could make out grooves, and protrusions, and _rocks?_ She heard and felt _water._ It's gentle hum vibrated off of the walls. She crawled forward a few feet and saw the black, pool surrounding her on 3 sides. It was about 10 feet wide and encircled by more rock.

Katniss put a cupped, quivering hand into the black water and drank. It tasted sweet and crisp. She knelt over the pool and brought some water to her face. Blood and dirt flowed off of it. She still didn't quite understand where exactly she was. She remembered the Hunger Games. She remembered Cinna dressing her for the final time. She remembered standing in the small, claustrophobic, glass tube that brought her up to the arena. She didn't remember... _winning?_ No...she was sure that she didn't remember winning the Hunger Games which meant that she must still be playing...

She racked her brain trying to understand. The last thing she remembered was _water. Lots and lots of dangerous, rapid water. A lake...? A river...The gorge..._ Katniss' eyes widened as it came back to her. _I fell off of the gorge when Cato -_ ** _Cato?_ ** Katniss whipped around and surely enough, saw his massive body lifeless a few feet behind her. Wide-eyed she stumbled farther away from him. **_No!...No...It can't be..._** Her eyes began to water then tears began to drip from her eyes. **_Murderer...I'm trapped in a cave with a murderer..._**

Katniss quickly got to her feet. She couldn't just sit around and wait for him to get up. She had to do...something. She had to get out of there. She jogged quickly around each wall of the large cave. There weren't any openings, or holes, or anything! _How did I get **in here?**_

She stopped moving and fingered her wet clothes thoughtfully. _The water..._ Katniss ran back to the black, flowing pool. She knelt and studied it, trying to look _through_ it to find any tunnels, or openings. But the water looked _black._ It seemed fully opaque in the low light. She submerged her right arm into it; testing how deep it was. Her arm went all the way in, to her shoulder, and she still felt no bottom. Katniss wasn't a particularly skilled swimmer and she didn't dare test her luck.

 _... If I cannot escape...than there is only one thing I can do..._ Katniss searched around her for any sizable rocks. She found a particularly sharp, weighty one a couple feet away. She palmed it, gently. Thinking about what she was going to attempt.

Katniss was a hunter. She knew her way around killing and skinning animals. She knew how to do it humanely, respectfully. She didn't fear the animals she took. And she did it to feed herself and her district. She felt that there was a purpose in that kind of slaughter. A slaughter for the sake of people. It was calming to her. It was _nature._ It gave her a sense of purpose. But people...people were worlds different. For one, she feared people. She ran from them her whole life. She sought solace from them. Avoided them, specifically. In her mind, the only thing that people brought were pain. Suffering. And this person she was about to kill: he was accustomed to the ways of murder and pain. He was the boogeyman underneath her bed. He was the monster hiding in her closet. He was her greatest fears and weaknesses all wrapped in a facade of muscle and power.

Katniss took a deep, steadying breath. She promised herself it would be quick. Painless for him.

Yes, he murdered Peeta. Viciously. Without remorse. And yes, she thought he deserved to die a painful, horrendous death because of that. But Katniss was not the grim reaper: she didn't deem herself worthy of choosing who deserves to die and who doesn't. She just recognized that it was either him, or her. And she had Prim waiting for her back home... And Gale...

That was a painful thought to swallow. She missed her sister so much. She prayed that she was doing okay, back home in District 12. Knowing Prim, she probably convinced their mother to let the Billy Goat into the house to sleep with her at night. Katniss chuckled a bit at the thought of that and wiped a couple of tears from her eyes. Katniss and Prim slept together almost every night. Katniss would tuck Prim into her own bed next to Katniss' but at some point during the night Prim would wander into Katniss bed. She would awake with Prim curled into her. Her blonde hair gently sprawled onto their pillow.

Katniss had some regrets in her life, but volunteering for the Hunger Games in place of her sister was not one of them. _Even if I die,_ she thought, _at least Primrose is back home with mother. She would be making little flower crowns for Buttercup. Damn mangey cat._ She would plant flowers all around the house in memoriam for Katniss. She'd pick up hunting, with Gale. _She would be everything I was, except so much more._ Katniss felt absolute peace in these thoughts. She liked knowing that whether or not she made it, that Prim was safe. Her thoughts drifted to Gale...

That was another painful area of her life. Katniss had always looked up to Gale. He'd become kind of a brother to her, especially after her father passed. She remembered him coming to her house, nearly every day after it happened. He'd pick her up out of bed when she couldn't muster the strength to get up. He'd help her dress. Make sure she was fed. He'd take her with him to the forest outside of their district and just sit as she curled into his chest and cried. She had always had feelings for him that she never wanted to admit to herself. The way his soft, brown hair sometimes fell in front of his steel, gray eyes. If you looked into them, some would think them to be cold and unkind. But Katniss knew better than that. She knew the pain and fears that lay underneath them. She knew the drive he had; to be fearless for his brothers. To be strong for his family.

She thought about one night in particular: It was a warm, summer night the year prior. Gale and Katniss had been out hunting, later than usual. They dropped off their fresh kill at the Hob and Katniss had wanted to get home because she knew her mother would have been worried about her.

 _"I'm sure she's fine Catnip. She probably already tucked Prim in and went to sleep...Besides...I wanted to show you something..."_

 _"Alright... But let's not stay out too much longer."_

 _Gale nodded in response and his strong, smooth hand found its way to Katniss' and he led her along an old dirt path against the electric fence that encapsulated their hometown. They walked, hand-in-hand quietly. She recognized the path they were walking on...It led to the old, abandoned barn on the East side of the district. She suddenly felt nervous...That was where the other girls in the district went with their boyfriends...when they were ready to be with each other...intimately. She swallowed quietly but let Gale lead her._

 _The barn had been long abandoned. There were families of squirrels, and owls that populated the old walls. There was even a small group of wild horses that sometimes visited the old building for some hay and possibly to reminisce. Gale took Katniss through the main archway which no longer had a door attached to it. She followed him up a creaky, probably unsafe, ladder to the small, open crawlspace above the old horse stalls. There was Gale's red, flannel blanket laid out with a pile of soft hay underneath it. Next to it was a glass kerosene lantern. Katniss crawled onto the old blanket while Gale pulled out a match and lit the lamp. She steadied her breathing as much as she could but she was nervous. Gale took a seat besides her and chewed his lower lip a bit._

 _"Katniss?..." Gale's eyes found hers in the dimly lit barn. They were different than normal. His gaze was_ _wavering; wanting._

 _Katniss didn't answer but just stared back. Gale gently grabbed her hands again; softly running his fingers over them. Her whole body tingled. It was so intimate. She had never felt such intimacy. She swallowed nervously._

 _"Do you love me, Catnip?"_

 _Katniss gasped quietly._ _She nodded slightly,_

 _"Yes...I do, Gale."_

 _Gale used his hand to bring Katniss' face to his. He pulled her into him as his lips found hers in the dark. His strong, tanned arms were wrapped around her protectively. She felt his warmth and his soft, supple lips danced with hers. They had kissed once before, but not like this._

 _Gale laid Katniss down on the hay between kisses. His breathing had picked up and he was lightly panting. He laid himself on top of her gently, bringing his hands to her hips. A hunger in Katniss' belly that she had never before known awakened. Her mouth welcomed his tongue. She felt a wetness between her legs for him. She felt scared...but needed him in ways that she couldn't deny. Gale parted her legs and positioned himself between them. Katniss felt his stiffness pressing against her most intimate place. She let out a small gasp through their kisses._

 _"Katniss..." Gale moaned softly. He unbuckled her jeans and pulled them down to her calves exposing her white, cotton underwear. Katniss tried to protest but stopped when Gale's determined fingers pulled aside her underwear and one slipped inside of her. She moaned and buried her face into his chest, embarrassed of her arousal. He was gentle as he fingered her. He suckled on a sensitive part of her neck as he went in and out. She was so wet._

 _"Gale" She whined softly into the crook of his neck. He pulled away slightly and began to undo his belt and pants, slipping them down his legs. Gale took Katniss' hand and made her feel him through his underwear. He made her wrap her hand around his manhood and stroke up and down through the cotton barrier. It was so big and long she didn't think it could ever fit inside of her. Gale pulled his underwear down and readied himself in his hand. He began to position_ _himself but Katniss lurched backwards, breathing heavily._

 _"What's wrong? Are you okay, Katniss?" He'd asked worriedly._

 _Katniss began to pull up her jeans, quietly. Embarrassedly. Gale crawled closer to her. He put his hand gently to her face. "What's wrong Katniss?..." He almost whispered._

 _"I can't." Was all she could get out before the tears came. Gale's expression dropped. He just put him arm around her and rubbed her gently._

 _"It's okay."_

He had been so gentle and understanding with her. That was one of her most painful regrets; she wished she had made love to him that night in the barn. He was warm, and gentle, and loving. And now she may never get the chance to express her love to him.

Katniss studied the rock in her hand. She took a deep couple of breaths. She was probably as ready as she would ever be.

She walked up to Cato and knelt beside him. His breathing was shallow. His lips were slightly purple. He had swallowed too much water and unless Katniss induced vomiting he would probably die. She looked at his damp blonde hair and his lifeless, helpless face. He looked so much different when he wasn't trying to kill her. He almost looked... _peaceful._ She swallowed hard trying to muster up the courage to bash his head in with the rock in her hands. _He's dying anyways...this is a mercy killing. Im putting him out of his misery. His body can finally settle and he can die peacefully._

Katniss held the rock up in the air hesitantly. Her hands were shaking badly and the rock was right above Cato's head. She sat there, unmoving. Trying to bring herself to it. _He's a murderer. Just do it. He killed Peeta...He's a **murderer. Kill him.**_

Katniss let the rock down gently next to his body. Tears streamed down her face; she couldn't bring herself to it. He was helpless at her grasp and she just couldn't do it. Yes, he was awful, and sadistic and... **evil.** But Katniss couldn't do it. She felt panicky and sick. She felt like letting him die would drive her crazy, especially with them both confined to that small area. She knew what she had to do.

Katniss pinched Cato's nose and opened his mouth. She had to induce vomiting. He had swallowed too much water and needed to get it out of his stomach. Using her pointer finger, she went to the back of his throat and stroked his uvula. Almost immediately Cato's eyes sprung open and he came forward and started throwing up the contents of his stomach. He turned over, coughing and wrenching, and Katniss held his chest as he did so. He spilled everything out until his stomach was empty.

Cato felt nauseated and sick. Kneeling on the ground, he tried to regain control of his breathing. His lungs felt heavy and every breath stung. He noticed someone behind him trying to turn him over and his brain went into attack-mode. He flipped around tackling the other person to the ground. He had pinned Katniss to the ground, one of his hands holding her hands above her head, and the other hand was at her throat. His eyes widened. He wasn't expecting to see her under him. He still hadn't put all the pieces together about where he was or how he got here.

Cato pressed on her throat slightly, threatening.

" _Where are we_?" He demanded. His voice was ragged and deep. He looked unhinged.

Katniss glared up at him. She almost regretted saving him.

"We're in a cave. Probably underground. We feel into a gorge and-"

"-We didn't fall into that gorge. You _pulled_ me in. You _**fucking bitch**." _ Cato growled squeezing her neck tighter. Katniss shifted under him struggling in his grasp.

" _...I...saved...you..._ " She barely uttered. Her face was red and hot and her breathing, labored. Cato was so impossibly strong. Her vision was getting blurred and fuzzy. Cato let up ever-so-slightly, but Katniss still struggled to breathe.

"What do you mean you **saved** me?" Cato's face was drenched in anger. He was struggling to control himself.

" _You swallowed... too much...water...I...I"_ Katniss sputtered and coughed.

"You what?" He slammed her onto the ground angrily, his hands were getting hot.

" _I...I.. got the water out..."_ Katniss' eyes slumped closed. Her body went limp underneath him.

Cato's breathing was rugged and he finally let go of her neck.


	3. Nightmares

**-Hello fan fiction community!  
**

 **I am so excited to present the 3rd installment of my "Trapped like Rabbits" fan fiction!**

 **Please remember to favorite, comment, and follow if you enjoy this story! And any feedback would be greatly appreciated!**

 **As always the story is rated M for mature content so viewer discretion is advised.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **...**

Cato paced back and forth inside the confined, cave walls. He needed to calm down, quickly. His heart was darting through his chest and he was seeing red. He needed to calm down. He stopped pacing and stood completely still, trying to regain his composure. His anger towards Katniss had pushed him over the edge (both literally and figuratively). He stood still with his eyes shut tightly and pushed all of the thoughts deep deep down.

 _Inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale..._

It only took a few minutes for Cato's heartbeat to slow to a normal speed and he slowly opened his eyes again. He was never supposed to let it get that fast. Bad things happened when Cato let himself lose control...

He took in his surroundings slowly. The cave was dim, humid. It was neither hot nor cold. The water pushed alongside the cave walls, thankfully not stagnant. He watched the black water, it was almost mesmerizing the way it flowed.

Cato felt calmer. He could finally assess the situation properly. He glanced behind him back at Katniss. She laid unconscious, sprawled along the harsh cave floor. He was surprised that he hadn't killed her. He praised himself for it; thinking that he was learning better to control himself. Cato walked up to the unconscious tribute. He watched her chest rise and fall underneath her shapely, black shirt. Cato sat himself down next to her.

For the first time in the Games he didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to kill her, it was the whole point of the Games, after all. But another part wanted to wait, just until he found a way out. _I mean she is a source of entertainment...at least until I can get out._ Cato followed the rise and fall of her breathing with his eyes. Her mouth was slightly parted. Her eyes were shut but made small movements every once in a while. Her hands laid at her side, unmoving. He didn't know why she intrigued him so. Watching Katniss' inhale and exhale and listening to the tiny, echoing splishing sounds of the cave coaxed Cato into a calm state. His muscles were exhausted and sore. His clothes were still damp and clung to his muscular body. His lungs were still raw and queasy. Cato slowly laid down facing Katniss on his side. His eyes moved around her gentle chest to her slightly rising abdomen and then traced down her slender legs. His eyelids felt heavy and they drooped down trying to bring him under, but he fought to stay awake. He liked watching her, however his exhaustion soon became too much. His stormy blue-gray eyes were soon encased and Cato was under.

 _Blood. Glorious red blood._

 _Spurting and squirting. And flowing._

 _Slippery and thick and viscous._

 _Coating the world in its magestic hue._

 _Blood and power and glory._

 _..._

 _Thick guttural screams filled the air. So much screaming and profanity and **anger.** Cato let it fill him up. He let it become him, control him. He surrendered to it. Bowed down to it. _

_She was there in a flash and then gone. She was quicker than him, or so she thought. He couldn't let her escape again. She'd already made a damn fool of him once... He'd have to make a bloody example of her. He would show them all what happens when you try to escape him..._

 _His lungs were filled with burning air as he sprinted after the girl. She darted madly through the forest, she was cunning and quick. And thoughtful in her escape. But Cato was faster. Stronger. **Superior.** He tore through the forest behind her. His legs felt like they were breaking, he ran so fast. He snarled and growled and cursed that damned girl. He would fucking murder her. Murder her **dead.**_

 _"I'm gonna get you, you bitch! You can't fucking run from me!" He belted out the words at the top of his lungs. His legs worked harder, he was closing in on the girl. It was as if the words made him go faster._

 _"I'm...going...to...get... **you.** "_

 _Cato thrust himself at the girl in front of him. He tackled her to the ground with a loud **thump.** She screamed so loudly he felt it in his stomach. It echoed throughout the entire arena. They were begging screams. Screams of a dying thing. He knew them too well. They didn't deter him in the slightest. On the contrary, he smiled as she writhed and kicked and begged and screamed. _

_" **Please...please...please Cato!** " She sobbed gasping out the words between breathy cries. Her small hands were at his chest pushing as hard as she could. It was pathetic to him: how utterly weak she was. He interlocked his fingers with hers and threw her arms back onto the dirt; pinning her down. The girl let out a high pitched cry. Cato put both of her arms together above her head and held them in his thick, strong hand. She flailed her legs, kicking up dust. Trying to wriggle out of his grasp but he was far too strong. He sat back on her legs holding them down and watch the tears pool in her eyes and drip down her cheeks. He laughed openly at the crying girl. He looked at himself through her scared eyes; marveling at his strength and godliness. Small, scared noises came out of her slightly parted mouth. Her supple lower lip quivered. Cato grinned wider, he liked looking at her in this state. It made him feel powerful and intensified his senses. Cato released her hands and they fell down to her side submissively. __She realized that she couldn't fight him off._

 _Cato slowly and tauntingly pulled a small, finger-sized knife out of his pocket. The girl's eyes widened when he held it up to show her and she screamed._

 _"Please let me go... I'll do anything you want,... **please** " Her words came out in short, desperate gasps. _

_Cato let out a cruel chuckle. He gently ran the knife's tip along her jawbone leaving, in it's path, a small, red scratch._

 _"Oh yes. You will do whatever I want. But first-," Cato's hand glided to her throat. He held the knife right against her neck; If she exhaled too deeply she'd cut herself on it._

 _"-First, I want to play with you."_

 _With one hand Cato held the knife to her throat, with the other hand he slowly, and meticulously lifted the bottom of her black shirt, keeping his eyes locked with hers the whole time. He wanted her to see who was doing these things to her. Her eyes searched his dirtied, evil face. His blonde, perfect hair was ruffled and caked with some blood on the tips. His eyes were stormy; and excitedly agitated. He had little crinkles underneath his eyes from smiling so hard. She truly couldn't escape him, in any sense of the word. The girl let out some quiet cries as the shirt lifted from her body, exposing her midsection. Cato very carefully moved his open hand and held it right above her slender stomach. He teased the air with his fingers, not touching her, yet. He pushed his hips down onto her legs, making sure she was nice and secure underneath him. He loved the tension between them. He loved the hatred she had in her eyes for him._

 _As slowly as he possibly could, Cato brought his rough, muscular fingers to the soft skin of her stomach. When they made contact just barely with her, he felt her whole body slightly jerk. It was as if he was an unwelcome visitor in a rival nation. Conquering and taking. Her body rejected and hated his touch. But she couldn't do anything about it. He licked his lips at the feeling of her smooth, soft body. Cato's fingers teasingly spread out and his whole hand was on her. She had never felt so **violated.** Though his fingers barely made contact with her flesh it was the point that it was **him**... **Touching** her... **Feeling the contours of her unwilling body.** She wanted to vomit into the dirt. She had never felt so disgusted and dirty in her life. But she knew that a million baths would never rid her of the feeling of **his fingers** on her body. _

_She glared into him. Her eyes were burning. Cato just smiled back at her sadistically, and licked his lips welcomingly. He marveled at her little gasps as his hand trailed up her soft stomach. His hand went all the way up to the bottom of her bra, until his whole arm was under her shirt. He traced the bottom of her bra back and forth his fingers dancing ever-so-slightly on her ribcage._

 _"Please_ _don't..." She whispered, tears still falling from her face._

 _" **Please don't**...?" Cato repeated mimicking the frail uneven sound of her voice. He loved how pathetic she sounded._

 _He laughed at her vulnerability. At how terrified, rightly so, she was of him._

 _"Please don't **what**?" He spat at her, mockingly. His fingers curled, gripping onto the bottom of her bra. It dug into her skin._

 _He slowly slid his fingers underneath her bra and she sobbed silently as his hand made contact with her breast._

 _"Is this what you didn't want?" He squeezed her left breast hard, eliciting a raw cry from the girl. She was shaking hard and crying badly. Her eyes were squeezed shut, shielding her from the image of him on top of her. That angered Cato. She had to watch him as he defiled her. He pressed the knife slightly into her neck and it sliced a small line of her skin.  
"_ _Nooo!" She pleaded as the small cut began bleeding. Her hand gripped his and she tried to pull the knife away. This angered him even more. He squeezed her breast hard and curled his lip threateningly._

 _"Be a good little girl and look at me while I rape you. And **don't** try to stop me, or i'll gut you like a fucking fish." The girl sobbed at his malicious words. It just confirmed what she feared most. Tears filled her eyes, so much so that she could barely see, but she kept her eyes open and fixed on him. Her hand dropped from his and laid back down against the dirt. Just like he wanted. She laid as still as possible, fearing for her life. _

_"Good girl" He whispered into her ear as he slid his hand out of her bra and pulled up her shirt, exposing her entire torso. His lips found her bare collarbone and he sucked it harshly leaving big purple hickeys all over her neck. Having his warm, wet lips sucking on her exposed skin was torturous. She hated him so much. She prayed for a quick, painless death. Anything to get that monster off of her._

 _Cato pulled away and took the small knife that he had at her throat and sliced a small, deep line against her collarbone. Red, juicy blood poured from the cut. It spilled down her almost naked torso. It stung so badly but amplified her senses at the same time. Cato slowly and gently licked along the wound, tasting the hot blood in his mouth. It turned_ _him on greatly: hurting her._ _The girl's eyes were locked on his. She watched him hunched over her; feeding off of her blood. What a sick fucking freak, she thought. Cato's manhood was rock hard as he sucked her blood. He felt the heat and pleasure swell inside of him. He couldn't control it. He sucked harder and harder biting his teeth down onto the bone eliciting a terrified squeal from the girl. When he finally finished he looked deep into her soft, blue, teary eyes. He thought she looked the most beautiful this way: crying, and shaking and begging. He ran his fingers gently down her soft jawline. His smile and features were softer now; less cruel than before._

 _"If you be a good girl I won't kill you." Cato said in a hushed, urgent voice. She whimpered softly._ _"Say you'll be a **good girl** for me." He demanded. _

_"I...I'll be a good girl...for you..." The girl's voice was faint and shaky. Cato's smile widened. He was pleased with her submission. He started kissing her neck, tenderly. Up and down her slender neck he went. He bit down gently and suckled and kissed. He felt her pressing into him gently. She's finally giving in, he thought. He pulled away from her neck and fled backwards, in shock. The girl was dead; her eyes were lifeless and unmoving. Her lips were cracked and purple. Her skin was ashy and translucent. Cato was horrified and disgusted; he felt like he was going to vomit._

Cato jolted awake. His forehead was slick with a cold sweat. He started at Katniss laying beside him and ran his shaky hand through his damp hair. He felt ill. The dream he had had been so vivid...Those thoughts of his disturbed him greatly. He had been so angry...and forceful...and... _sadistic._ He felt ashamed with himself. _I don't know what got into me...It's the damn Games. They're messing with my head._ Cato tried to ignore the bulging erection he had but he felt too sickened by it. He didn't want to admit to himself how much he truly enjoyed _pain_ and _torture._

 _It was just a dream. It doesn't mean anything. I just like hurting **her.** She's an exception. It's okay to like hurting her; she's nothing.I can do whatever I want to her... _Cato glanced down at the sleeping girl. The thoughts he had were growing dangerous so he just laid back down, shut his eyes tightly, and prayed he wouldn't have any more dreams...


End file.
